Beautiful Friendship
by Kateera
Summary: What if Willard escaped and was sent to a mental institution? Who would he meet? How would he cope?


Beautiful Friend  
I have to get out of here. I have to run. NOW!! Gathering my courage, I spring for the door and make it. The rats are all into the house now and I have a crazy idea. (Yes all of my ideas are a little crazy, so what?) I limp to the other side of the room and grab the can of kerosene oil that resides there. I open the bottle and dump it all over the rats and floor. Taking a match out of my pocket I light it, throw it onto the floor, and leap out of the window to the dusty filth below. The room explodes in a torrent of fire and I applaud my choice. Now they can't get me. I don't notice the police behind me and stand there looking towards the haven of my childhood and the bane of my adult life. They put handcuffs on me and lead me away to a bright blue and white car. Catherine is there and looks at me with shock. She feels pity towards me and she will probably visit me where ever I am going but I do not care about her acts of self indulgence. The car is driving away now and I take one look at the house before turning to stare at the drivers head as we swerve to miss a dog and continue on to the jail.  
Life in a mental institution is supposed to help you become a better person but I have been disillusioned here. This place is jail but worse. At least in the prison I did not have people nagging me about my feelings and my hatred and my murderous thoughts. In the prison I was left alone to sort through my life; but here, here I am constantly assaulted with doctors and scientist trying to break through the "Rodent Boy's" silent reverie. I do not wish to be talked to.  
They bring a new bed into my room and I realize that my quiet time at night will be taken from me. If I was not insane when I got here then I will be if I get out of here. The bed is being set up and they are bringing in a wheelchair. In the wheelchair is a small woman with red hair and a thin body. She seems unable to do anything but sit in her chair and stare straight ahead towards me. I do not know why they decide to place her in here with me but I am disgusted by it all. I am not going to do anything with a woman in here to see it all. The woman's name is Draven and she is a twenty two year old suffering from elective disabilities including muteness, lameness and blindness. She is pathetic and I have to watch her be fed and bathed and dressed. I wish she would go away. Sometimes I talk to her to hear the sound of my voice and she is a good listener. I know she can't see when I dress and get ready for bed because she believes she is blind. I guess she's not so bad but I don't understand why they put her in my room when there is a woman's hall in this building.  
I get ready for bed and decide that I want to talk about why I hate people. "Draven, do you ever realize that people are always trying to either put you down or suck up to you? Everyone these days is out for all they can get. They don't care about courtesy or politeness. All they want is money, money, money. I wish they would all try to see how many people it takes to overflow the Pacific Ocean."  
She laughs suddenly and this startles me because she is supposed to be mute. She sober immediately but I know what I heard. I walk over to her side of the room, knowing that it would alert the guards to my movements on her side. I wave my hand in from of her face and am horrified to admit that she blinks. She focuses on my eyes and smiles. I jump to the other side of the room as the guards come in to check on her stability. I stand in shock as they wave their hands in front of her face and nothing changes. She is back into her silent reverie and I am at a loss for words as they leave the room. They glare at me as they leave but there is no need. I know I can't hurt her. They close the door and she is sitting in her wheelchair not moving. I decide to see if I can get her to laugh again.  
Lying on my bed, I begin to tell her about a scene in my mother's house. "I don't know why my mother named me Willard but it must have been for a horrible reason because as she got older she hated the name. She was always picking out a new name for me. I think she was trying to make me pay retribution for being such a strange child by picking the most annoying and preppy names she could think of. I had Joshua, Jackson, Clark. I hate that name, Clark."  
Once again she can not help but laugh at my ridiculous ramblings. I look over to her side of the room to find her staring at me with laughter still etching its path across her face. I laugh along with her and this makes her quiet. I do not understand this woman and that irritates me. I want to ask her questions but I am not sure she would answer. I lie down and say good night in my softest voice possible. She is still in her wheelchair and makes no move to call the night doctor to lift her into the bed. I sit up and stare at the cut form of Draven's existence. I do not feel sorry about her self-inflicted condition but wish to help her into bed so she doesn't sit all night. I get reluctantly out of bed and dream of simpler days with Socrates. I walk over to her side and drape her arms around my shoulders. I lift slowly so that she doesn't slip. The bed is already cleared off and I deposit her gently onto the mattress before preparing to take a step back. Her arms latch themselves onto my neck and I can not stand up without taking her with me.  
"Please let me go Draven. I have to go to my side before."  
The guards arrive as I am talking and I feel a shock stick dig into my side right before the shot of electricity weaves its way through my body. Draven lets go of my twitching body before the electricity reaches her and I am pushed back into my space. I lie on the floor as they check Draven to make sure I didn't do anything to her.  
"I am fine; he was helping me into bed."  
I look up to see the guards staring in shock at Draven.  
She smiles at me and says, "Willard wouldn't hurt me. He is too caring. I don't know why he is in here but I think he is misplaced."  
Saying this is too much for her and she leans breathlessly against her bed rail. I am in total disbelief. She looks at the guards and they walk out of the room without switching on the device that monitors my movements. I look at the floor for a little while before glancing at the woman across the room. She has a sweet smile on her face and reminds me of Ben when he had just gotten his way.  
I shrink back onto the bed and the smile disappears. "I am sorry Willard, I just couldn't say no to a chance to talk to you. I know the guards are stupid and when I stop talking in the morning the doctors will think the guards made it up. I want to get to know you Willard and be your friend. I know what it's like to be the butt of every joke and be pitied by everyone. You were the first human to treat me normal like. I think we could reach an understanding."  
She is breathing hard from that speech and I can not sit here and watch her choke so I walk over and help her back into bed. She thanks me and then grabs my arm as I leave.  
"Sit on the bed and talk to me would you? Tell me one of your childhood stories or tell my again why you hate people. I just like the sound of your voice is all."  
She defends herself because I am looking shocked again. I agree and sit on the edge of the bed to entertain her as she falls asleep. When she does I gently tuck her in and impulsively kiss her cheek. This is the start of a beautiful friendship. The end of Part One. Please r/r!!!!  



End file.
